HalfLife2 not for nvidia only

phial · Apr 25, 2003

the game is making its debut at E3

<A HREF="http://money.cnn.com/2003/04/23/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/" target="_new">CNN article on HL2</A>

"The game will make its public debut next month at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the trade show of the gaming industry, at the booth of graphic chip developer ATI. A non-interactive theater will show gameplay (much like id Software and Activision (ATVI: Research, Estimates) debuted "Doom III" last year)."

so, whoever started that rumor is a retard. besides, why would they NOT use ATI cards? they would lose a good portion of their potential customers.. like me

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phial · Apr 25, 2003

<A HREF="http://forumz.tomshardware.com/hardware/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=345576#345576" target="_new">Post by GeneticWeapon showing a site that had the rumor</A>

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eden · Apr 25, 2003

Now I waiting for Flamethrower's answer: So, rumor huh?

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TheGreatGrapeApe · Apr 25, 2003

Well, Nvidia has made alot of deals, even Ubisoft's Splinter Cell has Nvidia's 'the way it's supposed to be play' or whatever, yet it still plays best on ATI hardware. Just look at the 9500 and 9600 when compared to the FXs, let alone the 9700/9800.

- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp (or internet account) ! RED GREEN :tongue: GA to SK

flamethrower205 · Apr 25, 2003

Actually, I'm just really happy this thing is finally gonna be showed! Damn I've been waiting for it. Why why why must we have school?! It interferes with the SID conference AND E3!!

Hilbert space is a big place.

Ghostdog · Apr 25, 2003

I just can´t understand people who beleived the rumour in the first place.

I´m starting to feel like a real computer consultant.

cleeve · Apr 25, 2003

Yeah, making a PC game for specific hardware would be corporate suicide.

There is no reason a sane marketing team would limit their demographic like that.

TheGreatGrapeApe · Apr 25, 2003

Money is a possible Reason. * The Following is theory/for discussion.

If Nvidia felt that they had enough spare cash to 'persuade' the developers to make it playe 'the way it's supposed to be play' thenn they could finance the difference of the loss of who is (let's be honest) the much smaller part of the market. Yes this would cost people like UbiSoft, EA, etc. money, but it might not be as much as the 'un-earned' income directly from Nvidia. That's along the same route that Microsoft used, if you have market power you can do things that are anti-comptetitive, despite the fact that most people would say "what do you mean IBM is forced to go with Windows, aren't they big enough to dictate what goes on their machine?" The basic answer is no.
Nvidia has what may be the largest market share they will ever have (unless ATI goes bust), and if they excercise those number to 'frighten' the companies into optimizing games for their cards which are in more machines. Nvidia could do the exact opposite too (although EXTREMELY unlikely) and without warning cripple a game developer by making their game virtually unplayable on their hardware due to driver coding, and then blaming the developer for not optimizing their game for ALL of Nvidia's loyal customers who 'do make up the majority of gamers'. Now this is all dark-arts, X-files and draconian in nature, but it is an example of WHAT could happen despite it not being in the best interest of the consumer and risking it all (current loyal consumers) on an all or none strategy.
I don't think Nvidia is heading to the extreme end, but why not play up the unclear 'the way it's supposed to be played' marketing ploy, and make the un/ill-educated consumer second guess his next purchase?
Would game developers risk losing customers to benifit one specific group? Probably not. Could they ever possibly? Yeah, sure, if the money is right. Heck if Nvidia were able to corner ID with about $20 million+ in 'optimization' hush-money that would be the killer-app that would force many gamers to make a 'poor' decision simply to play 1 game (yeah the one most of us having been waiting over a year for) at the cost of performance in all others.

As I said before, just something for your consideration. Nothing definite/concrete/based-on-FACT.

- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp (or internet account) ! RED GREEN :tongue: GA to SK

cleeve · Apr 25, 2003

Can't see it, due to the market size of Non-Nvidia cards.

You have to remember, your potential revenue is ALWAYS proportional to your install base.

Nvidia has alot of cards out there, but not even 50% of the total market share.

So if you have a possible user demographic base of, say, 10 million PC users... are you going to limit your $60 game to 4 million of them and miss out on 6 million potential sales?
Not even Nvidia has enough money to cover a possible income loss like that.

ESPECIALLY if your game is hardware intensive... like Half-life 2. Then, you're already limiting your user base by requiring faster video cards in the first place.

It'd be crazy. It's the same reason so many developers make games for the Playstation 2 and so few for the Gamecube...

TheGreatGrapeApe · Apr 25, 2003

Cleeve, I'm not saying it IS the way things are, just the way they COULD be if there was an evil master plan.

The reality is that despite the fact that they only own 40+% (43+?) of the market, I would say they easily own MORE than 50% of the GAMING market. All those Intel Integrated 'Extreme Graphics' chips don't really count to me, and neither do the number of neo magic and the like. Just look at Futuremark's Top 10 cards, that's a better guide of GAMERs' tastes. IMHO
Nvidia currelty DOES have market power, but that is quickly eroding, and while a play could re-invigorate sales, it could also and more likely drive people further away from Nvidia.
The question comes down to who are we; the sheep or the vanguards of the gaming/graphics world?

Anywhoo, it was just an illustration anyways, as to what people could do if they were truely as anti-comptetitive as MS was.

- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp (or internet account) ! RED GREEN :tongue: GA to SK

cleeve · Apr 25, 2003

Don't get me wrong, Ape... I'm not saying your points are invalid. They are intelligent and well thought.

I just can't envision a scenario where it'll ever be financially feasable.

Let's say we're talking a potentially platinum game, like Half Life 2. 1 million copies would probably be sold.

Let's say Nvidia has 60% of the gaming PC market users.

OK, at $60 per, Nvidia would have to invest $24 million dollars to make it worth the developer's while to prevent the game from working on non-Ati cards. (400,000 users * $60 per game)

This is oversimplification, but it shows the massive stake Nvidia would have to provide to convince a developer to develop an exclusively Geforce title.

Now that's only one game... Imagine Nvidia trying to do the top 10 games... keeping in mind that some developers wouldn't sign in on principle... and that they would be inviting a massive monopoly lawsuit, horrible PR... I just don't see it as a real possibility in today's climate.

Maybe in 10 years or so if things change, who knows?

TheGreatGrapeApe · Apr 25, 2003

Oh yeah I agree, it's very unlikely, but forget half-life for a second and think about THE be-all and end-all of games that is on everyone's mind and that everyone talks about upgrading their rig in anticipation of. How much of a Guaranteed income would make ID say 'let's optimize for GFX at the detriment of ATI'. Now while this may cost Nvidia 'let's say' $25 million (guaranteed profit, no production cost involved), how much of that money would be recouped over the year and at the expense of ATI, verses a very poor core design and all that forgone/wasted R&D coin?
I know it's far fetched and heck even I said, Not Bloddy Likely, but it is one of those things that makes you think, that ONE killer app that could do it, how much would it be worth for semi-exclusivity? Especially if it deadend what would have been an attack by ATI just based on quality alone?
Anywhoo, yeah I know it's idle speculation, and would be Ridiculously expensive (which also answers the original question with Money), but it is alot more fun talking about this than 'what card should I buy?'

- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp (or internet account) ! RED GREEN :tongue: GA to SK

Willamette_sucks · Apr 25, 2003

great great great.
i think the main point here is...
HALF LIFE 2 IS COMING OUT SOON AND IT WILL OWN!!!
AHAHHAHAHAH!
w00t!

Long live ATI.

TheGreatGrapeApe · Apr 25, 2003

Soon? I read September in the above.

Anywhhoo, Yeah can't wait!

- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp (or internet account) ! RED GREEN :tongue: GA to SK

GeneticWeapon · Apr 26, 2003

Half Life is Gay....1337 is Gay too...

Man who sleeps with sex on mind, wakes with solution in hand.

TheGreatGrapeApe · Apr 26, 2003

GW, that may be however I still can't wait; and until it does arrive on the selves I will be excercising my graphics card here:

<A HREF="http://www.barbie.com" target="_new">Hardcore Gamers' Half-Life waiting room</A>

Wow talk about low frame rates! Awesome DirectX? Graphics. :tongue:

- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp (or internet account) ! RED GREEN :tongue: GA to SK

GeneticWeapon · Apr 26, 2003

Grape, thanks for the polite reply.....but I was actually looking for verbal abuse with that post.

Man who sleeps with sex on mind, wakes with solution in hand.

TheGreatGrapeApe · Apr 26, 2003

Well if you want I can tell you where to stick the barbie?

Did you see all the cool stuff? Man she's gotta be a kept woman!

- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp (or internet account) ! RED GREEN :tongue: GA to SK

GeneticWeapon · Apr 26, 2003

Did you see that guy on tv who had a fetish for eating barbie heads?...thats how he got his kink on, they X rayed his stomach and he had twenty something little heads in there.....Do they show stuff like that on Canadian tv?

Man who sleeps with sex on mind, wakes with solution in hand.

TheGreatGrapeApe · Apr 26, 2003

Yes it's called the House of Commons.

Sure we get almost every channel you get (I have Digital Cable and Satellite), heck I'm watching TechTV and TSN (our version of ESPN) while waiting for the hockey game. We see all kinds of 'special' people on things like Ripley's, Fear Factor, The McLaughlin Group, Letterman's Stupid Human Tricks.

I'm sure there's a few of THEM lurking around here.

Mmmm Furbies, with Ginger!

- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp (or internet account) ! RED GREEN :tongue: GA to SK

GeneticWeapon · Apr 26, 2003

YEA!!!....Tech TV!!...Patrick, Leo....AND FUCKKING MORGAN!!..Oh Man,,I wanna Titty Fuckk her so bad..and that new blonde bimbo they have on there with the nice ass...Mmmmm.....trully the Geek channel if there ever was one. Did you see the ammunition box computer mod yesterday?...how unoriginal...That mod was all over the web months ago..

Man who sleeps with sex on mind, wakes with solution in hand.

TheGreatGrapeApe · Apr 26, 2003

Yeah that ammo case wasn't all that neat, nor practical (open base?) I would have preffered something a little more original and a little more 'useful' as in a true gaming box, perhaps in a Grenade case, that could also tote all the controllers, etc. Or Go all out and make it look like a Tomahawk or something. Mmmm, Dremel!
As for Morgan, now I understand your siggy a little better. :redface: But ditto, although I miss Erica Hill, I think she was the classy one at TechTV, too bad the war wiped out here spot on Headline News. Oh well!

- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp (or internet account) ! RED GREEN :tongue: GA to SK

eden · Apr 26, 2003

Hey Phial, I was at RBC checking the R9800PRO, were you posting on their site message board?

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flamethrower205 · Apr 26, 2003

Heheheh, my interpretation of that sig is twofold.......and they're both naughty and true :evil:

Hilbert space is a big place.

phial · Apr 26, 2003

yes i was, such uninformed souls there

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HalfLife2 not for nvidia only

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